Updates

JP Health Update
A few weeks ago we met with a cardiologist at a children's hospital here in town.  Brian actually found her on the internet and called her office.  She met with us for free.  I got there first and told her what he has.  Her eyes got very big!  Then B gave her all JP's paper work and she started reading some of it.  She was shocked at what he has and what he has been through.  She asked us if we had a picture of what his heart looks like in our head.  We were like "Uh...no!"  So she drew a picture of a normal heart and his heart.  It was shocking.  Everything is all mixed up but it all works!  She said if one thing was in the right place in him he would be dead but since it is all mixed up it works OK.  She said that the open heart surgeries that he has already had were exactly what she would have done if he was here.  BUT he needs one more and will probably need it this summer.  This was kind of a shock to us because we didn't think he would have to have another surgery until he is a teenager.  There are lots of details and information she gave us, but I won't go into all of that.  Overall, it was a great meeting.  She was amazed at how well he has done with all he has had to overcome.  She said we have a very healthy, hardy boy with a very serious heart condition and she told us not to worry about his future.  With all the technology advances he should live a long and happy life.  We were very encouraged when we left her office.
She also told us that we need to have oxygen on the plane ride.  She thinks he will be uncomfortable in the plane with the oxygen level the way it is.  God truly blessed us, during these 10 years of being married with no kids, with travels.  We LOVE traveling...specifically overseas.  We are pretty good at it too.  But throw a kid into it, a kid we will have only known for a week and everything changes.  And now on top of that we are going to have to take oxygen on the plane!!!  OH MY WORD!!!  I imagine we will have TONS of stuff and I will be standing in the middle of it with my son sitting on top of everything, while B explains to the people at security that we just adopted this boy and we need to bring an oxygen tank on the plane.  Yeah...that is going to go over really well.  We should probably plan on being at the airport 8 hours early!  We will have paper work for all of this of course.  I'm sure it will all work out, but I can just see this playing out in my head.  I'm going to try to remind myself to laugh while we are going through it.

Process Update
We have been waiting on Article 5.  What is that?  I'm not really sure!  All I know is it is a piece of paper that is standing in the way of me and my son.  Anyway...we got it last Monday!!  SO...the only thing we are waiting on is the High Court Order (HCO).  They are saying that should take 6 to 10 weeks.  Then after that it will be another 1 to 3 weeks until we travel.  So we are planning on the end of February.  I keep telling myself March though so if we travel earlier it will be awesome!  We are so close!  I'm still praying for a Christmas miracle though! 

Update On Where I Am In The Process
Well, we have received lots of good news in the past two weeks with the updates above.  I am really getting excited!  But I have to admit that I'm actually pretty sad as well.  You see all year I have been planning this Christmas to be centered around my little boy.  And now that I'm pretty sure that isn't going to happen, I find myself very emotional.  B and I went to look at Christmas lights a few nights ago and I couldn't help being sad that this was not the year I was going to show them to a little boy sitting in the back seat.  I have dreamed about this all year and now I have to wait another whole year!!!!  I know what you are thinking..."but you are so close to having him."  Yes, I know that and I am happy about it and the thought of next year.  But can I have a little pity party for a minute?  This is not how the end of this year was supposed to turn out.  I'm not going to lie...I'm mad about it.  I will NEVER understand why this process has to take SO long!!  On January 20th it will have been one full year since I laid eyes on his picture, read his story for the first time, and KNEW that he was for me.  I told myself back then (when they told me I should have him in October) that I could do 9 months because that's what every pregnant woman has to go through.  This was a little different though.  I had seen his picture, read his story, and the only thing standing between us (besides a large body of water) was paperwork!!  And now it has been almost 11 months!  Ugh...frustrating.  OK...pity party over.
We are going to start next year off with a bang though!  So how am I preparing myself for this?  Well, it might not be the way you think.  You see, I'm preparing myself to meet my child, the child I prayed so hard for, the child it has taken us so long to get, the child that is probably going to hate me!  At first anyway.  Oh I have heard stories and seen pictures.  The parents smiling with tears in their eyes and the kids screaming pushing them away!  Seriously.  Think about it.  Everyone knows he is going to be much better off, but he doesn't know that.  All he knows is that these white people are coming to take him away from everything he has known for 4 years.  I would be scared too!  So while I dream about us running towards each other and embracing in a hug that would drop anyone to their knees...I have to face the reality that it isn't going to go down that way.  I have to be sensitive to this process and transition he is going through.  Oh I'm going to hug him...I don't doubt that.  It is just up in the air as to whether he will hug me back or not.   But I have complete faith that this is all going to work out and work out exactly how it is supposed too.  I'm kind of theatrical (in my brain at least) and I know that things never end up the way I imagine.  The only way I know how to prepare myself for this is to pray.  Would you like to pray with me?  Here are some specific requests I have:

• Pray that God would be preparing his little heart for this transition. 
• Pray that God would prepare my heart for this transition!
• Pray for our travels to and from!
• Pray that God would guide us in the medical decisions we will have to make as soon as we get him home.
• Pray for us this Christmas. 
• Pray for God's perfect timing for our travels.  This might sound stupid but we really want the trip to be at a time when our friends can come and meet us.  This normally would not be a problem, but with the Chinese New Year so close to our possible travel date, this could be a very big problem.  We really want them to be there.  Not just for us, but for you as well...because they can take pictures of the first time we meet...even if he is screaming!  We just always envisioned them being there with us and we are praying that God's perfect timing works in our favor.  So even if you think that is a selfish thing to ask...will you please pray for it to happen?

Thanks for reading my rant!  I'm still holding on to my verse.

"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed in You, because he trusts in You.  Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock."  Isaiah 26:3-4

Katie